The Toothpick Test That Ensures A Perfectly Baked Lava Cake

With that oozing burst of warm, melted chocolate encased inside a moist, spongy exterior, lava cakes are a truly impressive dessert. They're decadent, conveniently portioned, and, when cooked just right, they make for a show-stopping end to any meal.

The one thing you want to avoid is overbaking these tiny molten cakes, as this will cause the center to turn fudgy and brownie-like, stemming that gorgeous stream of liquid chocolate we want the first spoonful to reveal. Lava cakes should only take about 10-13 minutes to bake, but they can cook faster than this, so you really need to keep an eye on them.

What makes things tricky is that lava cakes don't follow the usual rules when it comes to testing cakes with a toothpick. The center should remain moist and a toothpick inserted into the middle shouldn't come out clean, while one inserted into the sponge edge should. You can still use a toothpick to check for doneness, you just need to remember to test both the sides and the center of the cake.

To test your lava cake, start by inserting a toothpick into the edge of the cake first. It should come out nearly clean. If it comes out wet, the cake is not finished baking and may collapse when taken out of the ramekin.

If the toothpick passes the edge test, insert it into the center next –- it should come out slightly wet with some batter sticking to it. The top of the cake should also be just set, with a light springiness at the edges. If you're still unsure, lightly touch the cake with your finger. If it feels wet, bake for another minute.

If your toothpick comes out completely clean from both the side and center and the center looks puffy and stable, the lava cake is likely overbaked. Unfortunately, there's little you can do to save it, but you will still have a delicious chocolate sponge cake to serve.

No matter when you decide to pull your gooey lava cakes from the oven, let them cool in the ramekins for about a minute before inverting them. Hopefully, you'll be greeted with that rush of molten chocolate once you dig in. But, if not, try to enjoy it anyway -– it is cake, after all.